Furcula occidentalis
Encyclopedia
The Western Furcula Moth, Double-lined Furcula or Willow Kitten (Furcula occidentalis) is a moth
of the Notodontidae
family. It is found from southern Yukon
and British Columbia
to Nova Scotia
, south to Maryland
and west to Utah
and Oregon
.
The wingspan
is 32-45 mm. The forewings are pale greyish with a dark grey median band and a dark grey patch. The hindwings are pale greyish-white with a black-dotted terminal line and a dark discal spot. Adults are on wing from April to August in one to two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Salix and sometimes Populus species. Larvae can be found from June to September. The species overwinters in the pupal stage.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Notodontidae
Notodontidae
Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,500 known species. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, especially in the New World...
family. It is found from southern Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, south to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and west to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 32-45 mm. The forewings are pale greyish with a dark grey median band and a dark grey patch. The hindwings are pale greyish-white with a black-dotted terminal line and a dark discal spot. Adults are on wing from April to August in one to two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Salix and sometimes Populus species. Larvae can be found from June to September. The species overwinters in the pupal stage.